


Warmth

by ryukita



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Fix-It of Sorts, M/M, Other Characters Are Mentioned, but mostly platonic - Freeform, lowkey gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-13
Updated: 2017-07-13
Packaged: 2018-12-01 13:12:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11487117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ryukita/pseuds/ryukita
Summary: In which Ryuji isn't abandoned on that cold, December night.





	Warmth

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING: SPOILERS FOR THE END OF THE 7TH PALACE!  
> I just wanted Ryuji to get comfort at the end of That Scene. And this is my solution.  
> Special thanks to the beta reader bae (Nia)!

_“It’s your damn fault!”_

_“We were worried about you!”_

_“You troublemaker!”_

Voices were ringing in his ears when he finally stirred. His head throbbed, his whole body stung with pain, and he couldn’t help but wonder why.

Hadn’t he done everything he could?

He opened his eyes and tries looking around, but only found he was left alone on the pavement. It was dark, it was cold, and he felt utterly alone.

He closed his eyes again, instead thinking back to the event.

He could vividly recall the fear that rushed through him, the adrenaline pumping in his veins, the determination that overcame him. He remembered the pain shooting through his injured leg as he sprinted, and he could easily think back to how his arms screamed for him to let go from that bar.

All he could think of his teammates, his _friends._ He knew he was risking his life, but... He wanted to prove himself to them, prove he wasn’t just a joke or some idiot who couldn’t keep up. He wanted to show them he was a part of the team, too. He had to keep them safe, they were everything he had, everything he cared about.

What did he do wrong?

He thought he’d come back to appreciation, to relief that he was alive, to at least a thanks. He craved that, craved to be smiled upon by his teammates and congratulated for his efforts. 

Ryuji couldn’t think of anything he did to provoke them, to make them glare at him the way they did, eyes filled with angry tears and maybe even hatred. 

He couldn’t imagine why they approached him with a murderous intent, why they punched and kicked every part of his body. He could clearly remember the tears that stung his eyes, how he asked them to stop, but the hits kept coming, each seeming to hurt more than the last.

He couldn’t bring himself to fight back, not against the same ones he risked his life to save. He had looked to Akira for help, but he only stood by. Was Akira upset with him, too?

He had curled himself up and tried to protect himself, but it didn’t stop. He couldn’t remember when it did stop, all he could remember was his consciousness becoming fogged until everything finally went numb and dark.

_“It’s your damn fault!”_

Was this what he was destined to be? A burden no matter where he went?

It reminds Ryuji of when Kamoshida broke his leg, how his team and the entire school looked down on him.

It was his fault for acting on his own accord.

If he had kept it to himself and stopped himself, then everyone would’ve been fine.

Was this the same? If he hadn’t done that, would he have been less of a burden on the team?

He didn’t understand. Wasn’t he saving the team?

_“We were worried about you!”_

That’s right… Ryuji made them worry. Maybe if he had found another way, they wouldn’t have had to carry the burden of worrying about him.

Was he worth worrying about? Perhaps that was the message they wished to get across. He shouldn’t have worried them.

If they cared about him, they wouldn’t have beaten him up and left him alone, right? Left unconscious, defenseless- Perhaps they wanted him to get more hurt by exposing him to these risks? Was this payback?

These thoughts were weighing on Ryuji, amplifying the pains of his wounds on his face and various parts of his body. These were the teammates he always tried to cheer up, to make smile, to keep safe.

Was the feeling ever mutual?

_“You troublemaker!”_

That’s all Ryuji was in the end, wasn’t it? A troublemaker, a delinquent, a vulgar, angry boy. He was never deserving of love, was he?

Pieces were falling together. No wonder everyone turned his back on him when his leg was injured. No wonder why nobody came to visit him when he was bed stricken, why he only got glares and sneers when he returned to school with a limp.

Ryuji was just a broken track star with only a bleak future ahead of him. He wasn’t deserving of the other Phantom Thieves members, was he? Was he good enough to be a Phantom Thief himself? Would his efforts ever be enough for anyone?

Was it worth trying anymore?

Ryuji remembered he’s on the sidewalk, he could easily roll out into the street and wait to be hit by a car… It’s not like he’d be missed, right? It’d be lifting a burden, wouldn’t it?

“Sakamoto?”

A familiar voice broke Ryuji out of his downward spiral, and his eyes popped open. Could it be-?

Kneeled down in front of him was none other than the Ace Detective, Goro Akechi, and Ryuji was sure his vision was deceiving him somehow. 

He blinked at him, utterly shocked. He didn’t realize there were tears forming in his eyes from his thoughts, and he quickly scrubs his eyes with the back of his sleeve.

“Did I actually die back there?” He asked aloud, his voice coming out hoarse.

“As far as I know, we’re both alive.” Akechi gave him a smile, and it looked like an attempt to be one of his signature TV smiles, but it came off more… Vulnerable?

Ryuji didn’t understand. How could he be alive? He saw him die with his own two eyes- Or, well, heard him die behind that wall. This couldn’t be real, right? If he touched him, his hand would pass right through him, right?

So he tried. He lifted his arm, despite how heavy it felt, and reached his hand out to rest on Akechi’s shoulder.

Solid.

…

“YOU’RE ALIVE?!”

Akechi seemed taken aback by the sudden shout, flinching and moving back a little. “Y-Yes-”

“WHAT THE HELL, MAN?” Ryuji’s arms flew forward to grip both of Akechi’s shoulders. “HOW DID YOU SURVIVE? I WAS WORRIED- WHAT THE _EFF-”_

He stopped himself in his tracks. This was just like what the others did to him, wasn’t it? He couldn’t do that to someone else… 

He released Akechi’s shoulders, hands shaking. The movements weren’t helping his bruises, but he doesn’t care right now. His emotions were overwhelming him, it felt like his throat was closing and the back of his eyes stung.

“How, man? How did you get out alive?” He tried again, this time at a lower volume, but he didn’t mean for his voice to shake. He hated it, he hates how weak he sounded.

Akechi sighed, looking away for a moment. “It’s… A long story.”

“I’ve got time!” Ryuji quickly cut in, trying to sit up a little and wincing as a pain shot through his back.

Akechi took note of this. “Are you sure you do? What happened to you? You seem to be in a more critical state than I.” He leaned in, peering at his visible wounds.

“I’m-” The word “fine” got caught in his throat, because he obviously wasn’t fine. How could he explain this to him? Would he get angry with him as well?

… Was Akechi like that?

Akechi may have betrayed them, but he couldn’t recall a time where he picked on him. When the others joked, he didn’t join in. And with the discovery of his father…

Maybe he’d understand. Just a little.

After a long silence, Ryuji finally spoke up, his gaze trained to his legs. “The others. They- heh- weren’t happy with how I- Worried ‘em, after I tried makin’ sure they got off Shido ship’s safely- So-” He paused, trying to stop his voice from cracking. He sounded pathetic. “They gave me what I deserve and- Beat me up.”

Another silence followed his explanation, and Ryuji felt a little afraid to look up. But he did, anyway, only to see anger crossing Akechi’s expression, followed by suppression of said anger, then consideration, then… Neutrality? Gentleness? Ryuji couldn’t tell.

Akechi met his gaze. “You didn’t deserve that.”

The words did numbers to Ryuji. The firmness in his tone, the confidence that shone in his eyes as he said it. He blinked at Akechi, dumbfounded. 

“Do you mean it?”

“Yes.” Not a beat of hesitation, his genuine conviction never wavering. It’s a look that Ryuji rarely got to see on Goro, and never toward him. It sent a warm feeling through him, a contrast to the cold that had seemed to seep to his very core.

“... Come. I have ice packs at my apartment, they can assist your swelling.” Akechi’s up on his feet now, hand offered out to Ryuji.

Ryuji was shocked frozen. Akechi continued to surprise him no matter what, but… Strangely, it kept him interesting. Trustworthy. There was a certain warmth radiating from him, and it drew Ryuji in. 

It wasn’t like he had anything to lose or anyone else to turn to now, anyway.

Ryuji lifted his hand to take Akechi’s and allowed himself to be brought to his feet. He swayed and stumbled, but managed to stay upright. 

Akechi slid a hand to his back, steadying him. “Please, come this way. It’s only a short walk.”

Ryuji looked at Akechi again, and the previous neutrality is replaced with something kind. A small smile graced his lips, one unlike his bright, TV-like one. Small, genuine, and warm. 

Ryuji’s shoulders slumped, and he released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “... Thanks, man.”

A soft chuckle, a gentle crinkle in his eyes. “Anything for a friend.”

_A friend…_

Ryuji finally smiled, something he felt he hadn’t done in months, and his smile was smaller than his usual wide grin. “Yeah.”

The night didn’t feel as cold anymore.


End file.
